relief as the
two newcomers came into the room. "I say, Jack, _do_ come here and
talk to Hilda! She wants to cave in and do Miss Burton's prep. I tell
her that she'll be a traitor to the form if she does."

"Of course, she will be!" cried Jack. "And, besides, it won't be the
slightest use caving in now. Miss Burton's got her knife into us like
blazes. She's sure to take the matter up to the Head, anyway, so we
may as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb!"

"That's what I say," said Dorothy. "But Hilda's got an attack of
nerves or conscience or something. Pull yourself together, old girl,
and stick to it. As Jack says, we're bound to get into a beastly row
anyhow, so we might as well try and accomplish our purpose before we
cave in."

"But what is our purpose?" argued Hilda, still unconvinced, but
manifestly wavering.

"To teach Miss Burton a lesson, of course. To show her that she can't
go sticking the Lower Fifth in corners as though we were a parcel of
babies from the First Form! To make her see how jolly unpopular she's
made herself, and to induce her to treat us better for the future if
she stays on--which I jolly well hope Miss Oakley won't let her do!"
said Jack, with a fine flourish of eloquence.

"Good old Jack!" said Dorothy approvingly. "That's put it in a
nutshell. Now, Hilda, say you'll stick to it and refuse to work for
Miss Burton, or--or we'll send you to Coventry or something!"

The threat was made laughingly. Dorothy knew well enough that Hilda's
strength of purpose was not sufficient for her to stand out against the
whole of her form when it actually came to the point. This was not the
first time she had had to deal with the conscience of the head of the
form. Hilda was apt to get these belated attacks of panic when
nefarious schemes were afoot in the Lower Fifth, but never yet had she
been known to make a stand for her convictions. And this occasion
proved no exception to the general rule. Seeing that public opinion
was all in favour of continuing the strike, she yielded, with one last
feeble protest.

"Well, don't blame me when Miss Oakley comes down upon us like a ton of
bricks!" she said, as she got out the books and papers for the
preparation set by Miss Latham and Mademoiselle.

"We won't, old thing," promised Jack. "And if there's anything left of
us after the Head's done with us, we'll let you say, 'I told you so,'
as many times as you like! I'm sure it will be